Suspension to rigid fork

I've got a Specialized Crosstrail that is in need of a fork. The bike originally came with a suspension fork, but I'm considering going to a rigid fork. Are there any special considerations when switching from a suspension to a rigid fork?

What do you do with the bike? I switched from a bike with a fork to a rigid bike for a summer. I rode less, had less fun when I rode, and had much more tired shoulders after I rode. They are kind of cool, but not as much fun as a bike with front suspension IMO. Some say the rigid will make you develop better skills, this is probably true. I had to pick and choose my lines a little more carefully and other things.

And I suppose you would have to get a rigid fork built with geometry for a suspended bike.

The bike will be used primarily for recreational trails in state and national parks and for riding in the sandhills near where I live. It will also be my winter and foul weather commuter. I don't plan any significant jumping or break-neck decents in rough terrain. Basically, I'm looking for a hybrid leaning toward recreational off-road.

If you are considering doing the work yourself, try googling suspension fork to rigid on my mountainbike.. or something similar. Should come up with a bunch of stuff from mountain bike forums and probably bike forums too. If having the shop do the work, then probably be easiest to just go chat with them about what you want done, best way to go, price, etc.

I don't do any jumping or long fast descents either, short/steep/fast/bumpy ones yes. Just the overall experiance on a bike with front suspension on any off road trails is a better experiance in my opinion. I rode the crap out of my full rigid and did some racing last year to come to that conclusion.

My son is considering doing the same thing to his five-year-old Giant Boulder SE. He's eyeing a new MTB in the spring and intends to use the Boulder as a city/commuter. Doesn't feel the need for the suspension and weight around town.